LINNiEUS. 



341 



lakes and rivers^ among reeds and other aquatic 

 plants, where they remain in a torpid state till the 

 beginning of summer. This preposterous idea the 

 Englishman labours to convince his friend ought 

 either to be given up, or established by accurate ob- 

 servation; but, if the great botanist was not too 

 proud to renounce an error, he at least manifested 

 no desire to satisfy his correspondent, nor does it 

 appear that he ever afterwards alluded to the sub- 

 ject in any of his letters. 



The other individuals with whom he carried on an 

 ' epistolary intercourse in England were, DrSolander, 

 his pupil ; Mr Ellis, the first who proved the ani- 

 mal nature of corals and corallines; Mr George 

 Edwards, librarian of the Royal College of Physi- 

 cians, who produced a work on birds ; Mr Pennant, 

 the celebrated author of the British Zoology and 

 other treatises ; Mr Catesby, who wrote the Natural 

 History of Carolina ; Dr INIitchell, and a few more. 

 Of these Mr Ellis appears to have been his most as- 

 siduous correspondent. 



Mr Ellis to Linn^us. 



" London, December 5, 17G(>. 



" Sir, — I am obliged to you for sending me Dr 

 Garden's account of the Siren. I am sorry I could 

 not get the rest of the things he sent you, before the 

 ship sailed, when I sent you the specimens of plants. 

 I have only got the insects, which are of little value, 

 and the skin of a Siren. The things in spirits are 

 not yet brought on shore ; but I hope to get them ; 

 and as soon as I have an opportunity, will send 

 them to you. Peter Collinson spent the evening 

 with me, and shewed me a letter you wrote to him 



